With 63 U.S. national parks spanning a variety of ecosystems, the U.S. National Park System offers seemingly endless opportunities for outdoor adventure. Yet most visitors tend to gravitate toward our most iconic and well-known ones. In 2022, 52 percent of all recreational visits to a national park were to the 10 most visited: Great Smoky Mountains, Grand Canyon, Zion, Rocky Mountain, Acadia, Yosemite, Yellowstone, Joshua Tree, Cuyahoga Valley, and Glacier National Parks. (In 2021, the top 10 parks accounted for 55 percent of all visits.)
While each of those are popular for good reason, there are many others that are underrated and under-visited—whether because they’re less well-known, more far-flung, or simply overshadowed by other, more famous, nearby parks. As we head into warmer months and start thinking about ways to get outside, consider adding one of these 10 underrated U.S. national parks to your must-visit list for 2023.
Wrangell–St. Elias National Park & Preserve is a vast example of arctic wilderness.
Photo by High Fliers/Shutterstock
1. Wrangell–St. Elias National Park & Preserve
Alaska
All eight of Alaska’s national parks combined accounted for less than 1 percent of all U.S. parks visits in 2021, and just 2 percent in 2019 (prior to COVID-19 restrictions on Alaska travel). In 2022, visitation was closer to prepandemic numbers, accounting for 1.7 percent of all visits. Even so, roughly 90 percent of those visitors tend to head to Denali and Kenai Fjords, leaving the others—such as the stunning Wrangell–St. Elias National Park & Preserve—largely unexplored.
With 13 million acres of land in its bounds, Wrangell–St.Elias is the largest U.S. national park, and those who brave the drive or flight in will have a rare chance to explore a vast and diverse array of arctic wilderness. Highlights include several of the highest peaks in the nation, including the 18,008-foot-tall Mount St. Elias; expansive ice fields and large glaciers, like 53-mile-long Nabesna Glacier; and Mount Wrangell, an active volcano that has emitted smoke (but not erupted) several times in the past few decades. The park’s size also means ample ways to explore: be it hiking, climbing, rafting, or fishing.
How to visit
Most visitors will drive the 60-mile-long, unpaved McCarthy Road from Chitina, although Wrangell Mountain Air also offers three daily flights into the park. Once there, stay a few nights at the Ultima Thule Lodge. Guests have access to a daily fly-out adventure on small prop planes, allowing them to explore otherwise hard-to-access corners of the park.
Congaree National Park earned UNESCO biosphere reserve status for its biodiversity, natural resources, and cultural heritage.
Photo by Jimmy Gray Photo/Shutterstock
2. Congaree National Park
South Carolina
Congaree National Park in South Carolina is best known for its large collection of old-growth, bottomland hardwood trees, although more than 80 tree species grow here. “This biodiversity, along with a rich cultural heritage, in 1983 earned Congaree UNESCO biosphere reserve status,” wrote Brooke Vaughan.
Come here to hike among the trees or take a guided tour down Cedar Creek canoe trail. But be warned: The park sits on a floodplain fed by the Congaree and Wateree Rivers and it can be swampy (in other words, full of mosquitoes) in warmer months. Spring and fall are the best times to visit.
How to visit
Two hours from Charleston, and half an hour from Columbia, South Carolina, Congaree can easily be visited as a day or weekend trip from either city. If you’re staying the night, make a reservation at one of the park’s two drive-in campgrounds, Longleaf Campground and Bluff Campground.
Learn about nature and the history of Fort Jefferson at Dry Tortugas National Park.
Photo by T-Anderson Photography
3. Dry Tortugas National Park
Florida
Located 70 miles offshore from Key West in the Gulf of Mexico, Dry Tortugas National Park is often passed over in favor of Florida’s more well-known and easy-to-reach Everglades National Park. Although a neighbor of the Everglades, Dry Tortugas is entirely different. This park consists mostly of open water, with coral reefs and seven small islands, putting marine life at the center of its attractions.
Sadly, climate change threatens the ecosystem at Dry Tortugas but, for now at least, visitors can explore its unique beauty by snorkeling, diving, or kayaking—as well as learning about the history of Fort Jefferson, built in the 1800s on Garden Key. For the few who choose to spend the night and camp, the remoteness of the islands also offers incredible stargazing and afternoons of crowd-free swims once the day-trippers have returned to shore.
How to visit
The Yankee Freedom III ferry, which departs Key West at 8 each morning, is the easiest way to access the park. Day passes start at $200 per adult, and adult camping passes run $220 plus the park fee. Camping is the only way to spend the night here, and you must have a reservation in advance. It’s also wise to book your ticket several weeks (or months) before your trip, especially if you want to stay the night.
Voyageurs National Park is located far enough north to see the aurora borealis.
Photo by Shutterstock
4. Voyageurs National Park
Minnesota
With just 221,434 visitors in 2022, Voyageurs National Park along the Canadian border in Minnesota doesn’t always get the attention it deserves, despite being a wonderland for water lovers as well as a certified International Dark Sky Park. More than 40 percent of the park is water, a series of interconnected waterways plus Rainy, Kabetogama, Namakan, and Sand Point Lakes. There is evidence that for over 10,000 years, humans have centered life in this area around the waterways: using them for fishing, foraging, and as transportation corridors—activities that continue to be a main draw for visitors to this day.
As for stargazing, Voyageurs offers visitors a rare opportunity to glimpse the aurora borealis in the lower 48—but even without the Northern Lights, you should still expect a pretty spectacular sight on clear nights.
How to visit
Visitors shouldn’t skip on the chance to spend the night, either at one of the park’s many campgrounds (some drive-in, some backcountry, and many only accessible by canoe) or on the water in a houseboat (permit required). Ebel’s, located in the gateway community of Ash River, provides houseboat rentals from which you can navigate and explore Voyageur’s waterways and lakes.
Three unique landscapes, one of which is centered around the Rio Grande, are featured at Big Bend National Park.
Photo by Stanley Ford
5. Big Bend National Park
Texas
Located in the southwest corner of Texas, Big Bend National Park is “underrated because of the location . . . it’s definitely one of the harder parks to get to,” says Norman Aynbinder, president and CEO of Excursionist, a luxury tour operator that has a variety of unique, expert-led options for exploring the U.S. national parks. But “unlike some parks that are more limited in the season, you can visit [Big Bend] year-round.”
It’s worth the effort—Big Bend is one of the most biodiverse parks in the United States, home to over 450 species of birds, 75 species of mammals, 22 species of lizards, as well as three distinct landscapes centered around the Chisos Mountains, Chihuahuan Desert, and the Rio Grande. Vast, rugged, and varied, the park offers plenty of ways to explore—whether it’s a hike to the park’s historic hot springs, a multiday canoe trip down the Rio Grande, or bird-watching along the 5.2-mile Window Trail.
How to visit
Since Big Bend is only about 90 minutes from the small, artistic town of Marfa, they “make for a great combination,” Aynbinder says, especially as part of a West Texas road trip.
If you decide to make Marfa your homebase, Aynbinder recommends staying at the luxurious Cibolo Creek Ranch. For a more under-the-stars experience, consider a luxury safari tent or yurt at the bright and bohemian El Cosmico. Within the park, there are several options for both drive-in (reservations recommended) and backcountry camping.
Sand dunes push up against dramatic mountains at Great Sand Dunes National Park.
Photo by Zack Frank
6. Great Sand Dunes National Park
Colorado
“One of my favorite [national parks] is . . . Great Sand Dunes National Park in southern Colorado,” Marty Behr of Abercrombie & Kent told AFAR in an interview. True to its name, the park is home to some of the tallest sand dunes in North America, formed by sand from southwestern deserts being blown up against the adjacent Rocky Mountains. “So it’s sand dunes up against 14,000-foot peaks [as well as] marshlands and wetlands with a huge variety of birds. It’s like three ecosystems in one—extraordinary and diverse. They don’t allow any motorized vehicles, but you can hike 750 feet up [the dunes] and slide down on a disk,” says Behr.
How to visit
Colorado Springs (to the north), Durango (to the west), and Santa Fe (to the south) are the closest cities to the park; all are about three hours away. There are limited accommodation options near Great Sand Dunes National Park, but you can camp at Piñon Flats Campground within the park (reservations recommended) and several hike-in, backpacking campgrounds.
For a less rugged place to sleep, Behr says, “Most of our [Abercrombie & Kent] guests either stay in Santa Fe or at Vermejo Ranch, a Ted Turner Reserve” in New Mexico.
Not far from Arches National Park, Canyonlands also has many of its own such as the Mesa Arch.
Photo by Edwin Verin
7. Canyonlands National Park
Utah
Although considered one of Utah’s “Big 5,” Canyonlands is the least visited of the five—despite its proximity to the ever-popular Arches National Park and easy access from Moab. However, at 257,640 acres, Canyonlands is much more vast than Arches, with “some of the best rafting, hiking, jeep tours, and canyoneering,” according to Excursionist’s Aynbinder. The park also has plenty of the iconic slot canyons Utah is so well-known for.
The Colorado River snakes through Canyonlands, making it a fantastic alternative to the nearby Grand Canyon for rafting trips. “The Grand Canyon rafting tours are hard because they’re crowded, booked up for years, but you can get just as stunning views in Canyonlands [and] with fewer people,” Aynbinder says.
How to visit
You can visit and camp in Canyonlands on your own, but you’ll get more access if you go with a tour, like those organized by Excursionist, which can bring you to hard-to-access parts of the park by jeep.
Alternatively, the luxury glampsite Under Canvas Moab sits right between Arches and Canyonlands and can help organize tours—whether it’s a 4x4 excursion or canyoneering—in either park.
New River Gorge National Park in West Virginia features world-class whitewater rafting and rock climbing.
Photo by Sean Pavone
8. New River Gorge National Park
West Virginia
In early 2021, “the New River Gorge, formerly a national river, was upgraded to a national park and preserve,” reported Sarah Buder, making this West Virginia park the newest in the United States. With 1.6 million visitors in 2021, it’s the most visited park on our list (and the 17th most visited national park overall)—yet is still freshly on many outdoor enthusiasts’ radar.
Encompassing more than 70,000 acres of land, this rugged Appalachian canyon has something for everyone: rock climbing routes on sandstone cliffs for climbers of all levels, rafting along 53 miles of whitewater that include Class IV and V rapids, and hundreds of miles of hiking and mountain biking trails.
>> Read our full guide to New River Gorge National Park
How to visit
New River Gorge is an hour-long drive from Charleston, West Virginia. If you’re spending the night, there are several campgrounds within the park. Outside the park, you’ll find some additional camping options at privately owned campgrounds, like those at cyclist-friendly Arrowhead Bike Farms.
For a more cozy cabin-in-the-woods experience, book one of the rentals at Adventures on the Gorge, an expansive, family-friendly adventure resort outside the park. Or settle in to an art-filled apartment at Lafayette Flats Boutique Vacation Rentals in nearby Fayetteville.
Diablo Lake in North Cascades National Park offers memorable views.
Photo by Anna Abramskaya
9. North Cascades National Park
Washington
North Cascades National Park on the Canadian border in Washington State is known as the American Alps, “with more than 1,000 cascades and waterfalls, high peaks, and gorgeous scenery,” says Behr. It’s also home to dramatic, snow-tipped mountains, colorful wildflower displays, and over 500 lakes and ponds, some of which you can boat in.
Despite its beauty, it’s had fewer than 40,000 annual visitors for the past decade, making it one of the least-visited national parks in the nation—although this is in part because the park is only open in the summer; State Highway 20 is usually closed by October 1. “When it’s open, people really go for spectacular hiking, but there is also whitewater rafting and horseback riding,” Behr says.
How to visit
Campers have a variety of options within North Cascades National Park, both drive-up (reservations recommended), boat-in, and backcountry (permits required). In the neighboring national forest land, a unique camping experience at a lookout tower on Winchester Mountain allows hikers to spend the night on a first-come, first-serve basis from June to October.
For a less rugged accommodation option “there is Sun Mountain Lodge, a beautiful property [in Winthrop] up on a hillside with gorgeous views, a rustic feel, and a good restaurant,” Behr says.
Pinnacles National Park is an easy day trip for hikers and climbers.
Photo by Jeffrey M. Frank
10. Pinnacles National Park
California
With nine national parks, California has more than any other state. However, Pinnacles National Park—located roughly two hours south of San Francisco—gets far less attention (and far fewer visitors) than its iconic neighbors. Nonetheless, it’s home to a striking and unique landscape of rock spires and caves formed by volcanic eruptions as worthy of exploring as the vast deserts of Joshua Tree and dunes of Death Valley.
Not surprisingly, the unique rock formations throughout the park make Pinnacles a popular destination for climbers, especially in cooler months. For those who prefer to stay grounded, there are miles of trails that will take hikers past the formations, through lava tunnels, and to the top of mountain peaks for scenic vistas. If you only have one day, check out the Condor Gulch to High Peaks Loop trail, a challenging, 5- to 6-mile loop through the heart of the Pinnacles rock formations.
How to visit
If you want to spend the night, your best option is to book a site at the Pinnacles Campground on the east side of the park. Hotels and Airbnbs near the park are otherwise sparse, but it’s a relatively easy day trip from Monterey, Carmel Valley, or San Jose. Just be sure to choose your route carefully—the east and west entrances of the park connect by trail, not road, and you can’t drive through the park to reach the other access point.
This article was originally published in 2021 and most recently updated on March 8, 2023.
